Venus Williams becomes the oldest player at the US Open since 1981. After her emotional return, she explains her motivation in tears.
Veteran Venus Williams missed out on a surprise on her return to the biggest tennis stage despite a courageous performance. The 45-year-old lost in the first round of the US Open to last year’s semi-finalist Karolina Muchova from the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-2, 1-6 – but showed a remarkable performance at times, 28 years after her debut in New York.
Williams became the oldest participant in the Grand Slam highlight in the Big Apple since Renee Richards (USA), who was eliminated in the first round in 1981 at the age of 47.
For the American, who won the tournament in 2000 and 2001, it was her 25th appearance overall. She had previously received a wild card for the mixed doubles, which she played alongside her compatriot Reilly Opelka.
Tears at the press conference
After the match, Williams appeared pensive. When asked at the press conference what she wanted to prove to herself, she broke down in tears.
“For me, it was about getting back on the court to give myself the chance to play in the best of health,” explained Williams, who underwent uterine surgery last year. “When you’re not playing healthy, it’s on your mind. It’s not just about how you feel. It was nice to be freer.”
She left her future plans open. “My goal is to do what I want to do. I am so grateful to everyone who gave me a wild card,” she said. The Australian Open is still “a long way off,” she added when asked about a possible start in Melbourne in January 2026.
Williams returns to the biggest stage
Williams was given the biggest stage for her return to singles: in front of a crowd of over 23,000 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, she put up a great fight against Muchova, ranked 13th in the world, especially in the second set. In the decisive set, she ran out of steam.
After an early break in the third set, Muchova was unstoppable. The 2023 French Open finalist took her first match point to win after exactly two hours of play. Williams left the court to loud applause.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner made her comeback in Washington in July after a 16-month break, first in doubles and later in singles. In the singles competition, she advanced to the round of 16. With her first singles victory in almost two years, she became the oldest match winner on the WTA Tour in 21 years.
Williams is one of the best tennis pros in history. In her long career, she has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, 14 doubles titles with her younger sister Serena Williams, and two mixed doubles titles. She is also a four-time Olympic champion.
